Exceptional Kaskara. The only qualifying personages during the Mahdiya would be the Khalifa or the Mahdi himself. I'm not aware of swords of either that have surfaced. The price is consistent with the best work of Ali Dinar's workshops.
The blade is ancient and imported. The cross guard has interesting lines where it may have been assembled and welded together, but the lines aren't where they should be, i.e. langets should cover the long pieces. It's good quality, but not nearly as good (flared ends) as those on Ali Dinar's swords. The silver cover on the grip is of a design unique to me.
Yes, Colin we certainly could use translations of the engravings and the cross guard as you noted. Note the "gold" dot at the end of the blade. Also, it wouldn't hurt to contact the auction house to see if more details, including provenance, could be discovered.
Ed
|